


Overstepped Boundaries

by way1203



Series: Burlap and Shakes [1]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Doctor/Patient, Drunk Sex, F/M, Hungover Jonathan Crane, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-28
Updated: 2017-03-28
Packaged: 2018-10-12 04:01:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10481625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/way1203/pseuds/way1203
Summary: In which Dr. Crane awakes to find that he accidentally slept with one of his patients.





	

**Author's Note:**

> How it all began...

His head pounded. Crane rubbed his eyes and rolled onto his back. Nausea washed over him. He remembered feeling this way only once before, and this was a painful reminder of why he didn't make a habit of drinking. What did he have last night? Wine? No, scotch. No, wine. It was definitely three glasses of wine, right? He felt like such a lightweight. He looked to his left. Crane swallowed the vomit climbing up his throat as nausea struck him again. There was a woman in his bed. She slept on her stomach with the blankets pulled just past her hips. Her brown waves fell just past her shoulder blades, obscuring whether or not she wore undergarments. She stirred. As she bunched the pillow into the crook of her arm, he noticed a birthmark just above her elbow. It was oblong with a small hook-like tail, and just a few shades darker than her warm tawny complexion. Crane swallowed. He'd seen that particular birthmark before, and not just from the previous night's activities—whatever those were. The woman gave a soft moan and shifted again, this time turning her head toward him. He recognized her immediately.

"Hallie," breathed Crane. He shut his eyes. _What have I done?_

She was his patient.

He took a deep breath. Maybe they didn't actually have sex. Crane looked beneath the blankets at his own body. He was quite naked. Hallie, on the other hand, wore only a lace bra from what he could tell. His glance shifted to the nightstand to check the time. There was a Trojan wrapper in his way. At least he'd still had enough of his faculties to ensure they were safe. Wait. No, he remembered it now. It had been Hallie who produced the condom. He didn't keep any around. There was no reason when he didn't date.

The sound and smell of the coffee maker reminded Crane that he needed to try, at least, to get up. He slowly got out of bed. With each step he took toward the bathroom, he noticed another article of their clothing strewn across the floor. He pinched the bridge of his nose. The memories from last night seeped back in.

_He saw Hallie at the bar. He didn't usually frequent such places, but he made an exception that night. He talked to Hallie briefly at first, acknowledging her presence among the Saturday night crowd. But then somehow they continued, and the conversation became so intriguing that he ordered them both a second drink. In hindsight, he knew it was the alcohol that made both Hallie and himself relaxed enough to talk so openly to one another. When she touched his knee accidentally, and she made a flustered apology, he placed his hand on hers. Their eyes met. Neither one of them were drunk at that point, and they mutually decided to leave the bar together in hopes of more conversation in private._

_A cab brought them to his apartment. Once inside, Hallie immediately went to his bookshelf. He found scotch in his cabinets. They drank half a glass each. The two of them shared their opinions on some 18th-century author, followed by a kiss. And then another. Then he stopped them. He said what they were doing wasn't appropriate, that she was his patient. Hallie agreed. They continued their actions. She asked him between kisses if he'd had drinks with other patients in the past, and if he'd made a habit of inviting patients to his apartment. He shook his head in response to both questions. Hallie removed his tie. Their mouths met again followed by their tongues. Crane's hands drifted to her hips. That's when they agreed that they should move matters to the bedroom._  
  
After relieving himself, Crane continued to process last night's events as he brushed his teeth. He'd slept with Hallie; he had sex with Hallie. No matter how many times or ways he repeated the fact in his head, Crane couldn't believe his actions. He pulled on a pair of boxers. He desperately needed a cup of coffee. Crane willed himself to return to the bedroom. He crossed the doorway and froze. Hallie was awake. She sat on the bed with her legs crossed at her ankles, and her head in her hands.

" _Oh, my God_..." she groaned. " _You're so stupid._ You slept with him, you _actually—_ "

Crane cleared his throat.

Hallie slowly looked up from her hands. He could see the panic in her eyes. He wasn't sure what to do the morning after. There'd been a woman in his bed once before, but she was his girlfriend, and that situation was completely different from his and Hallie's current predicament. He'd had one one night stand, but that was in college, and she'd made him leave once they were done. Crane calmed himself. He knew from his sessions with Hallie that she often needed reassurance. He sat down across from her at the foot of the bed.

"Good morning."

"Hi," whispered Hallie. Crane noted the tremor in her hands. "Morning."

"How did you sleep?"

"I-I...well, thank you."

"Good. So," Crane adjusted his glasses, "last night was interesting."

"Yes, it was."

"Would you like some coffee? I believe it will help sober both of us enough to evaluate last night."

Hallie scratched her shoulder. "I actually, um...I actually don't drink coffee. I'm sorry."

"No problem. I have tea. Will that suffice?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"I'll boil the water."

Before Crane could stop himself, he leaned forward and kissed Hallie. She reciprocated, then smiled as she watched him leave. He walked briskly to the kitchen. What was he doing? Why did that feel right? He poured the coffee into a large mug. He set an electric kettle to boil and found another equally large mug. Hallie entered the kitchen in her bra and underwear. The sight, he had to admit, both aroused and unnerved him.

"Can I sit here?" she asked, her hands on the back of a chair at the table.

"Of course," said Crane.

"Thanks." Once Hallie sat down, he placed a box of green tea and a box of assorted herbal teas before her. "Thanks...again."

"There's no need to thank me. You're my guest. I was raised to be hospitable. Are you hungry? While I'm not the best cook, I'm sure I could make something for you."

"The tea is enough. I'm not hungry."

Crane put the mug of hot water on the small table. Hallie reached for it, thankful to finally have something to fidget with as a distraction. She dunked an herbal tea bag into the water. Crane sat down across from her and took a sip of his coffee. They were both half-dressed in his kitchen, and it felt fairly weird to him. Hallie must have felt the same because she failed to meet his eyes.

"I would have redressed in last night's clothes but...my dress isn't…the zipper is broken—ripped—my dress won't stay up."

His eyes widened. Swallowing, he lowered his cup. "I apologize. I'll pay for it."

What was he saying? Crane didn't even have the memory of destroying her dress. He dug through the haze that was the night before. He vaguely remembered fumbling with the zipper on the back of her dress. It'd gotten stuck. Crane tried and failed a few times before yanking the damn thing. There was popping of snagged fabric. He remembered her comment about him being stronger than she realized. The two of them laughed when her dress finally slipped off.

Hallie said nothing. Crane didn't either. It stayed that way for a few minutes. He couldn't take it. They needed to talk about this; it was the only way they were going to dispel the awkward tension. They spoke at the same time. Hallie covered her mouth. Her cheeks burned red.

"Go ahead," Crane gestured.

"Oh, okay. Um..." Hallie looked down at her tea which was now in danger of over-steeping. "I'm sorry, I'm not very good with morning after...stuff."

"Neither am I. In all honesty, sex is not something I have very often."

This fact seemed to relax Hallie somewhat. "Neither do I. And on top of it all, in case things aren't awkward enough, you're my therapist."

"This is equally awkward for me. Hallie, you are my patient. As a professional, I shouldn't have even engaged in such a lengthy conversation with you last night, let alone buy you a drink. I shouldn't have allowed it to go as far as it did last night. One could say that I took advantage of your familiarity with me and our relationship." Crane took another sip of coffee. "What happened last night shouldn't have happened."

"You're right that what happened last night shouldn't've happened, but I made a choice as well. I could have ended the conversation, but I didn't because I enjoyed it and I wanted to learn more about you. I also allowed you to buy me another drink. I agreed to go with you back to your apartment. You didn't take advantage of me. You gave me a choice through everything. You asked for my consent many times, and I agreed. The only problem I see is that we stepped over some boundaries last night."

"Your point is well made."

"Do you regret what we did?" asked Hallie. "I had a really nice time last night. I haven't been able to relax like that in months. I-I don't regret last night. How do you feel about all of this? You know, other than the regret you expressed."

Crane set his mug down. "Hallie, there is a difference between reiterating overstepped boundaries and regret. I don't regret last night. Truth be told, I think it was a good thing for both of us. What concerns me is how we will move forward."

"Okay."

"To start, I can't continue to be your psychiatrist. I know the thought of that makes you uncomfortable. However, I believe your sessions would be more productive if you were to see a colleague of mine instead."

Hallie swallowed. "So that's it? I don't see you again?"

"The reason for this move is to avoid any questions concerning our rela—"

"I don't want a relationship with you to start out of obligation. You'll resent me over time. You'll see me as someone you have to tolerate because I'm someone you accidentally fucked one night. I don't want that."

Crane clenched his jaw. He absolutely despised the way she said that word. "Do you think that's what we did last night?  _Fucking_ is a careless act. I define _fucking_  as simply having sex to satisfy lust. I didn't _fuck_ you last night, Hallie."

"Then what did you do, Jonathan? What was last night?"

"Last night was more than fucking."

Hallie watched as Crane calmly drank his coffee. She stared down at her mug. What was he saying? She tested the waters. "It was more than just fucking for me, too."

Crane understood where she was headed and rubbed his eyes with one hand. His head pounded far too much for this discussion, yet here he was. He set his mug down harder than he intended, causing him to cringe. Hallie started and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"It's okay. I-It's also okay if you don't feel the same. You know, about me."

She'd taken his silence for rejection. That wasn't what he wanted. Was it? In a clinical sense, he definitely put more care into his responses to her than he did with other patients. There were a few nights he spent pouring over Hallie's file in an attempt to determine the right treatment for her, whether that be pills, mindfulness, or something a bit more _non-traditional_. 

Scarecrow thought of Hallie as a specimen. The way her intrusive thoughts affected the severity of her anxiety intrigued him. He longed to extrapolate those fears with his medicine, but Jonathan wouldn't let him. At least not yet. Scarecrow had grown tired of waiting. It would happen soon enough, whether Jonathan wanted it to or not. 

In a romantic sense, Crane had to admit their conversation last night was refreshing. He had known from their sessions that she enjoyed literature, but he discovered that Hallie had a deep love for poetry. She also initially wanted to be a photographer and was allergic to almonds. Crane found it oddly nice to have company in his apartment and someone in his bed at the end of the day. He'd be lying if he said the sound of Hallie moaning his name didn't excite him.

_Their limbs were entangled. Crane drove himself deeper into Hallie. Their breath collided. Her gasps and his sighs blended in a symphony. He reached between them, Hallie welcoming the stimulation. Crane increased his pace, more confident and determined than ever to get them both off. She gripped his shoulders. He trembled against her. They crescendoed together. 'Hallie!' 'Crane!'_

Crane took another sip of coffee. Did he really want to be in a relationship with Hallie? Deep down he knew the answer.

"You should know that, despite my inebriation during our rendezvous last night, I don't make a habit of sleeping with women I care about when I don't have control of all my senses." When Hallie didn't respond, Crane removed his glasses and leaned forward. "In fact, I don't make it a habit of sleeping with anyone unless I have feelings for them."

His last comment seemed to resonate with her. "So you...?"

"Yes."

"Oh." Hallie smiled, then frowned and furrowed her brow. "What do we do? You know, besides ending our sessions together."

"I'm assuming you would like to pursue a relationship with me?"

"I'm interested. What comes next?"

"I'm not sure, seeing as how sex usually comes after I've been in an established a relationship, not before."

"Well, technically we have been in an established relationship. You know more about me than my friends do. Hell, I've told you things I haven't told anyone. I only know what you told me last night and bits you mentioned in our sessions. I-I don't know any of the deep stuff." Hallie leaned forward. "That sorta gives you the upper hand. We're starting on unequal footing."

He smirked, "Well, I hope to level the playing field soon."

"Good."

Crane watched as Hallie stood and walked toward the kettle. He wasn't sure what to do next now that he'd stated his feelings in so many words, now that they were in a relationship. Things still felt awkward. Crane got to his feet. He knew he was going to regret this in the long run, but he carried on anyway.

"Need more coffee?" asked Hallie.

He lifted a shoulder, "Among other things."

"Like?"

"Would it be okay if I kiss you?"

Hallie set her tea aside and closed the gap between them with a kiss. Crane lifted her chin, deepening the connection. He admired how right it all felt. Part of him wanted to repeat last night. Part of him wanted to end things before they had a chance to start. They separated, and he touched her cheek.

"I'll transfer your paperwork to Dr. Ryland first thing tomorrow morning."


End file.
